Cities and Nature

The book is organized around three central themes of urban environment in historical context; contemporary issues in urban-nature relations and; realigning urban-nature relations. The historical context situates urban development and its impact on the environment, and in turn the environmental impact on people in cities. This is important to document as it provides a foundation from which to understand contemporary issues. The second part of the book focuses on critical contemporary issues that include an examination of urban ecology, hazards and disasters, water quality and supply, air pollution and climate change, and garbage. Part three considers the discourse of sustainability and how it has been informed by different theoretical approaches. This section also documents issues of environmental justice and the role of gender and race in sustainability discourse. The last chapter explores the ways in which cities are practicing sustainability-from light "greening" efforts such as planting trees, to more comprehensive sustainability plans that integrate the multiple dimensions of sustainability.